Research shows genes may play a role in obesity

There are numerous consequences one can suffer from being overweight or obese. Those who carry extra weight on their body are frequently at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, such individuals may also find themselves paying higher health insurance premiums as a result.

A study appearing in the American Journal of Human Genetics provides further evidences that genes play a role in childhood obesity. The research team found that those with a certain gene variant are more likely to have weight problems.

Center for Applied Genomics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia associate director Dr. Struan Grant says their study is the first to uncover such findings.

"Our study is the first large-scale, unbiased genome-wide scan of CNVs in common pediatric obesity," says Grant. "We found CNVs that were exclusive to obese children across two ethnicities - European Americans and African Americans."

Even though someone may have a predisposition towards weight gain, they can still take steps to keep healthy. Eating nutrient rich foods and getting frequent exercise are two ways to achieve this.